West Shore Cafe and Inn Hires New Chef: Mike Davis

One of Slope Dope’s favorite restaurants in all of Lake Tahoe is the West Shore Cafe and Inn, located right across the street from Homewood Mountain Resort.

The place is truly a gorgeous property, summer or winter, right on the lake with views to die for.

And the food’s been pretty amazing there, too, which made us raise an eyebrow when we heard West Shore had hired a new chef. What was wrong with the last guy? He was awesome.

Well, turns out the last guy decided to take another job that wouldn’t include so many nights away from his family. And the new chef, Mike Davis, sounds like a winner. Here’s what JMA Ventures, the West Shore’s owners, had to say about their new man in the kitchen:

Davis brings a diverse background in the culinary industry to his position as executive chef. Inspired by Julia Child, Davis started cooking in his teens, and went on to work for a variety of establishments.

After a self-guided culinary tour up the West Coast, Davis went to Seattle, where he spent time honing his seafood skills at Axis, The Brooklyn Restaurant, and Waterfront Restaurant. The Dining Room, the fine dining restaurant in the four-star Salish Lodge and Spa, was his next stop. As executive chef, he focused his attention on working with organic and all-natural products, and created outstanding food pairings with one of the largest wine lists in the Northwest. He was awarded honors including the AAA 4 Diamond Award, the Mobil 3 Star Award, and the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.

In 2004, Davis opened his own restaurant, 26brix Restaurant and The Bar @ 26brix in Walla Walla, Washington. During a four-year span, the restaurant garnered national attention, including two invitations for Davis to cook at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City. Davis then joined Joie de Vivre Hospitality to oversee the development of food service at the historic Oakland property, The Waterfront Hotel.

At West Shore Café and Inn, Davis hopes to re-focus the menu, offering lighter takes on comfort classics as well as expanding the restaurant’s seafood offerings. Davis is also toying with infusing flavors from New Orleans, where he spent most of his formative years.

That sounds good by me. If you’re never stayed or eaten at West Shore Cafe and Inn, it’s worth a visit. It’s not the cheapest place in the world, but if you’re looking for a pampered weekend right on the water, you can’t go wrong here.

Wait a few weeks before setting out on this particular visit, though. The restaurant will be closed for the next few weeks, reopening on Memorial Day weekend with its revamped menu.